Broccoli
With
broccoli the trick is to have the stems and
the florets cook at the same rate. You can
do this by removing the tough outer skin of
the stalks. Simply peel the skin up from the
base of the broccoli stalk.
Asparagus
The
tender tips will cook more quickly than the
stems. Avoid this by peeling the thickest
part of the stems with a sharp knife.
Cauliflower
The
stem and leaves of the cauliflower are edible
but they are tougher and take longer to cook
than the tender florets. After removing and
discarding the outer leaves, rinse the cauliflower
and remove the leaves and stem. Using a sharp
knife carefully core the cauliflower. The
leaves, stem and core can be reserved for
use in soups, stock or stews if you wish.
Gently
seperate the cauliflower crown into evenly
sized florets - large or small depending on
the recipe.
Leek
A
relative of garlic, onion and shallot, the
leek is a versatile and healthy vegetable
which adds flavour without overpowering the
other ingredients of a dish. Both the white
root section and the green leaves of a leek
are edible. The root tip should be trimmed
, the top of the leaves cut off and discarded
along with the toughest outer leaves.
You
will be amazed at how much dirt and grit gets
lodges between the layers of top leaves of
a leek. And also how deeply within the layers
you will still find traces of soil. If you
are intending to use the green leaves then
the easiest way to ensure that the leek is
thouroghly clean is to run a slit up the length
of the leek and open out the layers under
running cold water.
